Activ8, product that will save your engine.

[embee]

This section in one of the links posted by valleyboy is concise and to the point. Yes, chlorinated paraffins are very effective anti-scuff additives but not for an engine in a modern environment.

General Remarks on Chlorinated Additives.
A number of ‘add-on’ additives intended to improve the performance of commercially available automotive lubricants have been marketed in recent years, under such names as ‘Xxtralube ZX-1’, ‘Metol FX-1’, ‘PPL Anti-Friction’ and ‘Activ-8’.All such products share the following characteristics with ‘X-1R Friction Eliminator’:-
1) They all contain chlorinated paraffin ‘exteme pressure’(EP) compounds first used in the 1930s in heavily-loaded industrial gearboxes, and in some automotive transmission applications, mainly hypoid gears.
2) They all corrode copper-based alloys at moderate temperatures, easily exceeded in all engine, and most transmission applications.This problem was recognised in the 1930s, and chlorinated compounds were never used in transmissions with bronze bearings or gears. No responsible manufacturer ever suggested using them in engines where their increasing activity at high temperatures could lead to piston ring corrosion and bore glazing. (For the same reason, modern ‘hypoid’ additives are not used in engines, even though they are much safer than any chlorinated additive.)
3) X-1R Friction Eliminator and its clones are based upon very outdated technology, which was abandoned by responsible lubricant manufacturers for automotive transmission uses in the 1950s. Chlorinated compounds still find applications in metal working, but their use is on the decline because of health and safety considerations.
4) When burnt, chlorinated paraffins produce corrosive hydrochloric acid, and organo-chlorine compounds including the highly poisonous phosgene gas. Apart from these corrosion and health hazards, with petrol engines the deactivation of exhaust catalysts is also a problem.
5) Unfortunately, these additives give spectacular results in simple EP test machines such as the ‘Falex’. As a marketing ploy, a demonstration of this type looks impressive to those not aquainted with the above facts. Also attractive is the low cost of chlorinated compounds, allowing profits of several thousand percent to be made.
Cheers
Simon.

Nothing I can add to that (no additives )

EEeesh, 1950s? Thanks for posting that embee, I am now enlightened.

Wish I'd read those links before I put it in my bloody bike. Even if I do an oil change now the stuff will still eb there. Ah, well, I'm sure my engine won't blow up in the next five minutes.

[embee]

Originally Posted by sv_dan

Wish I'd read those links before I put it in my bloody bike. Even if I do an oil change now the stuff will still eb there. Ah, well, I'm sure my engine won't blow up in the next five minutes.

I'd just do an oil+filter change ASAP and forget it.

Apart from the ring/bore business, the little end bearings are usually bronze based and do run at the high temperatures likely to promote the corrosion, so don't leave it too long.

Ah thats interesting, thought there had to be a good reason why the big companies didnt use it or produce it.

Exactly.. which is why I decided to investigate further... google is your friend...

Even came across quite a few people who said to use Magnatec car oil... looking at whats written, its had simular effect, except its propper oil...


some of the 'better' effects of the anti friction stuff in those additives may explain my bike as well... it use to have very little engine braking, and revv very freely, but a treatment only lasts 20K miles or so.... and after my mechanics have said my bikes as it should be... I think one of its previous owners may have put that stuff in, and its simply worn off...


Im tempted to try magnatec in my bike now for some reason... used car oil in the SV, and it never hurt that...

Chlorinated paraffin additives have been touted for ages and are a very effective EP agent, but at the expense of horrendous side effects. They're cheap commodity chemicals being sold with HUGE profit margins by these people.

These chemicals are freely available to lubricant formulators and are dead cheap, so why aren't they in the oil in the first place? Because they'd never get any approvals as they would be disastrous failures in corrosion and deposit tests needed to get the approvals.

Cheers Keith

We've always used custard mix. None of that cheap own brand from Asda, but that posh 'Birds' make.

Doesn't make bike any faster/efficient......but goes with anything

Sorry.......its been a long day.......................

Here - here embee !
Use a decent semi synthetic 10-40w and change it with a new filter on a reasonably regular basis and you will not have any wear issues. Modern oils / lubricants are so good these days.

Originally Posted by northwind

Yep, but. If under high pressure and heat you get corrosion of aluminium parts over time, that can only be not good. The demo doesn't replicate the actual working conditions of the product. I'm interested to see what happens, put it that way.

Do any aluminium parts bear against other metals? Aren't cylinders still sleeved and pistons still ringed - no rude comments please
John